Pinot Noir: The ‘spiritual’ wine

To aficionados, Pinot Noirs have a “spiritual” allure, said Dave McIntyre in The Washington Post. Certainly, there are Pinot devotees “who might sell their souls for a taste of Romanée-Conti,” the most fabled of all French Pinot Noirs. Many other Pinots from France’s Burgundy region, “the grape’s ancestral homeland,” are equally expensive and rare. Yet there are plenty of affordable Pinots available, whether from France, the U.S., or elsewhere. Here are just a few:

2006 Domaine Rois Mages Rully “Les Cailloux” ($24).

This delicate, minerally wine from an obscure appellation in Burgundy at first tastes austere. But it becomes “more brilliant with every sniff and sip.”

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2007 Francis Coppola Director’s Cut ($18).

This affordable wine from California’s Sonoma Coast is “bigger, rounder, and sweeter” than its French counterpart.

2008 Tamar Ridge Devil’s Corner ($16)

Another personal favorite, this time from Tasmania in Australia. A “devilishly delicious” wine with flavors of curry and spice.